Background
• April 19, 2016: Public Art Master Plan approved by Council, including the identification of the walls bordering the Public Works yard as a “priority area” for public art. • January 25, 2023: The Public Art Commission approved publishing a Request for Qualifications for mural artists.
• March 1, 2023: The Call was published on a nationally recognized website. • March 22, 2023: The Public Art Commission reviewed submissions from thirteen artists and selected three artists to submit original design proposals. • May 30, 2023: As part of the FY23-24 Budget, City Council appropriated $60,000 from the John Parsons Public Art Fund for the Public Works Mural Project. • July 26, 2023: The Public Art Commission reviewed three original design proposals and selected Artist Ernesto Maranje and his design titled “Sea Chatter” to recommend to City Council. • October 25, 2023: The Public Art Commission reviewed two design modifications and arrived at a final design recommendation for City Council.
The Site
N. Catalina Ave.
N. Gertruda Ave.
Version 1
N. Catalina Ave.
N. Gertruda Ave.
N. Gertruda Ave.
N. Catalina Ave.
The Artist frequently includes smaller animals, leaves, and other organic elements in a dreamy, whimsical
style.
For example, notice the imagery on the seagull.
Viewers who know the artist’s work
love to look for these “worlds-within-a-world.”
The artist refers to them as “Easter Eggs”
that people can hunt for.
They also add depth
and interest to the design.
The piece below shows a gorilla as the main subject
with a rhino, elephant and giraffes
as “smaller” characters that live within the gorilla.
The Public Art Commission asked for the
following changes:
• Brighten up the sky and the water.
• Remove the otter because otters are not found in the waters near Redondo Beach. (The artist replaced it with a humpback whale.) • Remove the blue shark and the blue whale swimming next to the seal because they are not drawn to scale.
• Make the signature block smaller.
Version 2
With the changes requested by the Public Art Commission N. Gertruda Ave.
N. Catalina Ave.
Version 3
A combination of Versions 1 and 2
N. Gertruda Ave.
N. Catalina Ave.
The three
versions the
Public Art
Commission
reviewed at
its meeting
on October
25, 2023.
Recommendations from the
Public Art Commission:
• Approve Artist Ernesto Maranje for the design and installation of the Public Works Mural Project.
• Approve Version 3 with the following changes:
• Put back the larger reef (as in Version 1).
• Put back the detail on the seagull (as in Version 1). • Replace the otter with the humpback whale (as in Version 2). • Remove the blue shark and the blue whale (as in Version 2).
Public Works has requested that the name and
address of the facility be located on both walls.
The artist will come up with something better than this:
John Parsons Public Art Fund as of 3-18-24
Project Name FY23-24
Approved Budget
Projected Budget
After Modifications
John Parsons Public Art Fund Balance $1,078,804.20 $1,078,804.20 Gate Wave $270,000 $275,000
Skate Park $50,000 $75,000
Lilienthal Street Sculpture $125,000 $0
Bus Depot (Transit Center) $150,000 $150,000
(A budget modification request for this item
has yet to be determined.)
Public Works Yard Mural $60.000 $135,000
Esplanade Art Concept $100,000 $100,000
Big Lots Retaining Wall $35,000 $0
Artesia Boulevard Project $400,000
Total $790,000 $1,135,000
Remaining Balance $288,804.20 -$56,195.80
Staff Recommendations:
• Approve Artist Ernesto Maranje for the Public Works Mural Project. • Approve a project budget of $135,000 ($90,000 for mural design and installation and roughly $35,000 for associated traffic control services).
• Approve the modified Design #3 as recommended by the Public Art Commission or provide direction for modifications.
• Direct staff to prepare an Agreement with the Artist for the final design and installation of the mural.
• Direct staff to prepare a Budget Modification Resolution to formally appropriate the additional funds needed for the project.